The present disclosure relates generally to backpacks with removable straps and adjustable belts. In particular, backpacks that include hip and torso laterally extendable belts for attachment to a user's body are described.
Backpacks are worn by users for transport and storage of items (e.g., clothing, books, groceries, camping equipment, sports equipment, etc.). In particular, backpacks are often used for transport of heavy items (i.e., a heavy load) because of a limited capacity to carry heavy weights for long periods of time with the hands. Conventional backpacks generally include a main pouch with additional smaller attached pouches or pockets. A pair of shoulder straps extend from a top of the main pouch to the bottom of the main pouch and are configured for each strap to contact and be supported by a shoulder of the user. Thus, the user's shoulders bear the weight of the load in the backpack. In some cases, backpacks include a supplemental hip belt or chest strap to support or transfer a portion of the weight of the load in the backpack away from the shoulders.
Known backpacks are not entirely satisfactory for the range of applications in which they are employed. For example, existing backpacks can cause stress fractures in the back, inflammation of cartilage, back and neck strain, nerve damage in the neck and shoulders, unnatural spinal compression, poor posture (e.g., hunching or leaning forward), and other health and postural damage. This damage can be especially prominent in children carrying heavy loads of books while their bodies are still undergoing growth and development. In some cases, carrying of heavy loads in backpacks can cause permanent neck, spine, and/or shoulder damage. According to the U.S. Customer Product Safety Commission, more than 28,000 people were treated for backpack-related injuries in the United States in 2012. That figure included 8,500 children between the ages of 5 and 18 who were treated in doctors offices and emergency rooms. The cost—in medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and legal liability—is more than $1 billion annually.
In addition, conventional backpacks cannot be worn by users with chronic neck, spinal, and/or shoulder injuries and conditions. Often users with chronic neck, spinal, and/or shoulder injuries and conditions are unable to bear not only heavy loads, but even light loads on their shoulders. In some cases, users can wear a hip pack, however, hip packs provide only a small amount of carrying space and transfer the entire weight of the pack to the users' hips. Accordingly, users with chronic injuries and conditions have limited ability to transport and/or carry items. Further, users with chronic injuries and conditions can be limited in their ability to participate in activities that require carrying of equipment, such as backpacking and hiking.
Thus, there exists a need for backpacks that improve upon and advance the design of known backpacks. Examples of new and useful backpacks relevant to the needs existing in the field are discussed below.
Disclosure addressing one or more of the identified existing needs is provided in the detailed description below. Examples of references relevant to backpacks include U.S. Patent References: U.S. Pat. No. 5,529,260 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,725,139. The complete disclosures of the above patents and patent applications are herein incorporated by reference for all purposes.